CAPE COD, Mass. - Defending NCAA Division III National Champion Plattsburgh State claimed the top spot in the 2007-2008 Women's West Coaches Poll.

Last year the Cardinals became the first-ever undefeated NCAA (Div. I, II, and III) women's champion and just the fourth Men's or Women's NCAA ice hockey team to accomplish the feat. Plattsburgh State posted a 12-0-2 conference and 27-0-2 overall record and received 80 total and eight first place votes.  

The Cardinals, led by Head Coach Kevin Houle, return many key weapons from their offensive attack, which ranked first last year in league scoring, averaging just over five goals per game. Danielle Blanchard (Newmarket, Ontario/Aurora Panthers) will look to repeat on her success from last year's campaign where she totaled 51 points (24-27-51) to lead all ECAC West scorers. Also returning is the young and talented Laurie Bowler (Brantford, Ontario/ Burlington Barracudas) who led all freshman scorers with 38 points (22-16-38). The blue line for the Cardinals will once again be solidified by Julie Devereux (Lombard, Ill./ Chicago Mission) who returns for her Senior season, and will look to build on her 25 point (4-21-25) clip from a year ago.

Set for their first season in the ECAC West, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has been picked to finish second. The Tigers skated to a 16-1-2 record playing in the ECAC Women's East League last season. With a 22-4-2 overall record, RIT advanced to the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals. Returning for the Tiger's will be Isabelle Richard (Malarctic, PQ/National Sports Academy) who is coming off a junior season where she surpassed the 50 point plateau (21-31-52).

Elmira College received one first place vote and 66 total votes to finish third in the coaches poll. The Soaring Eagles earned runner-up honors in the ECAC West last season.  The purple and gold finished the season with a 19-5-3 (11-1-2 league) record. Between the pipes ECAC Women's West Goaltender of the Year Allison Cubberley (Bracebridge, Ontario/ Clearview Stars Mid AA) will return after posting a 1.90 GAA last year.

With a full roster returning from last year's squad, Neumann College was voted into the fourth spot. The Knights had a conference record of 8-6-0, going 10-13-1 overall. Finishing in the fifth spot is Utica College, the Pioneers wrapped up last season with a 10-2-2 conference mark and a 18-5-3 overall record advancing the ECAC West Semifinals.

Voted into the sixth spot is Oswego State (SUNY), the young Laker squad will return its full roster for 2007-08 play.  The seventh spot belongs to the Bengals of Buffalo State who skated to a 5-9-0 league (7-15-1 overall) record last year.

Rounding out the 2007-08 ECAC Women's West Preseason Poll are the Cortland State Red Dragons and the Chatham College Cougars, who finished eighth and ninth in the poll respectively.

The ECAC Women's West Hockey League will be settled on the ice starting Friday, November 2 when Neumann travels to Plattsburgh to take on the defending champs. 

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